1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for detecting a ratio of a gas component and liquid component (referred to as a gas-liquid ratio, hereafter) more particularly relates to an apparatus for detecting a gas-liquid ratio of two-phase fluid composed of gaseous phase and liquid phase which is sealed in a fluid conduit.
2. Description of the Related Art
As apparatus to detect a gas-liquid ratio, there is one which electrically measures the physical characteristics, such as the capacitance, of the two components.
Another apparatus, in which a gas-liquid ratio of a fluid can be detected with a device having a simple mechanism and at a low cost is known from Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 61-14430.
In that, a receiver and an expansion valve are provided in a refrigeration system and connected to each other through a delivery conduit. Further, a chamber communicated to the delivery conduit is provided on an upper side of the center portion of the delivery conduit, and a means for detecting a condition of a cooling medium is provided in the chamber.
In the above apparatus, however, it is difficult to detect such a condition with a high accuracy because the cooling medium does not uniformly flow into the chamber from the delivery conduit. Especially, the apparatus has only one inflow-outflow port for the cooling medium. Further, the chamber is provided on an upper side of the delivery conduit, so the gas component of the fluid easily accumulated inside it. Accordingly, it does not efficiently work to detect a condition of shortage of the cooling medium in the refrigeration system, with high accuracy.
The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for detecting a gas-liquid ratio of a two-phase fluid composed of a gaseous phase and liquid phase with high accuracy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus to detect a condition at which the gas-liquid ratio of a gas-liquid two-phase fluid reaches a predetermined target value to be detected, with a device having a simple mechanism and with high accuracy.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus to detect variation of the gas-liquid ratio of a gas-liquid two-phase fluid with a device having a simple mechanism and with high accuracy.
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus to detect an increment of the gas component in a two-phase cooling medium composed of gaseous phase and liquid phase with a device having a simple mechanism and with high accuracy.